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Over 4,644 reviews forWaukesha Patio Pavers from people just like you.

F

"Seems like a nice guy when he does your estimate. He's mild mannered; you want to like him. don't. He is a con artist. We signed contract for him" ...More to do work for a total of $3,490. He accepted the deposit, a check for $1,745 dollars from us made out to his name,

. He cashed that check. our bank confirms that. About a week before he was suppose to start work, he stopped responding to all of our attempts to contact him. We have attempted to contact him approximately 30 times. It is now been 2 weeks since the job supposed to be done and we have not heard from him. He simply took our money and walked away. He has stolen our money by fraud.

does not exist. He has only reserved the name with the Arizona Corporation Commission you can call them and verify this for yourself. I have also called the Arizona Registrar of contractors, and he is not a licensed contractor. He is guilty of a misdemeanor because he is contracting without a license. The types of things that he does, or at least advertises to do, such as irrigation, require a contractors license.

-Susan M.

F

"This was a horrible experience. We had an estimate made in late April with a follow-up visit to a week later with pavers to chose from. Everything was set go," ...More we had a signed invoice and contreact and put down a $2,000 deposit. The day the work team was supposed to come, the office contacted us and said the guy who was supposed to come out left the company. The owner,

Ranchor, was non-responsive for over two weeks. After a series of back and forth messages with the office manager, the owner finally returned the call and told us that there was really no way that the job would be done and that we should go find someone else to do the job. They violated many of the terms and conditions of their contract. They were highly unprofessional in handling this matter. don't use this company.

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Creating a unique look for your yard means more than just cut grass, trimmed shrubbery and pretty flowers. Hardscaping, the creation of any man-made structures on your lawn, is just as crucial for overall appearance.

Inspiration & Ideas

Angie's Answers

I don't care about lawns--I planted mine in clover and don't have to mow it. When I do need to mow I use a rotary Fiskars mower, which is great--or a scythe. That's right--a scythe (the European type, which is smaller, and it's very good exercise). Gas-powered mowers, chemical fertilizers and weed killers--all nasty stuff that gets into everyone's air, soil, and water. I'm sure my neighbor doesn't like my wildflowers, semi-wild pockets of fruit bushes, and unmown areas and yes, dandelions (I have 10 acres) but that's too bad. It's better habitat for wildlife, especially the pollinators on which our food supply depends. I think this obsession with the Great American Lawn is a waste of time and resources. Plant some food instead.

One of the more difficult issues facing you will be making sure you compare apples 'n apples while understanding the differences between apples 'n oranges.

Some things common to all:

How far from your (water) meter pit to the home?

Do you know what sort of water pressure you have?

Those two questions sortta drive the rest. How many sprinklers you have is a piece of the puzzle but it is lower on the issues list than how much water pressure and gallons per minute of flow (gpm) you have. Knowing the water pressure and gpm coming to the house is important because it is the info divided by the flow rate of the heads to tell you how many you can run at a time.

That, plus the number of heads it takes to cover your yard will let them decide on how many zones to cut the yard into (each zone is X number of heads that run at the same time).

Will the different estimates be for systems that are all parts from a single manufaturer or will it be a collection of brands? Some will tell you that the parts (controller, back-flow, heads and even specific heads) are better from different manufacturers while others will tell you that all from a single manufacturer will give you an optimized system.

And, are the contractors equally certified? Not only education and experience but certifications from the various manufacturers who's parts they want to use. And, will their installations be the same? Will they open trenches all around your yard and be a week getting the stuff layed, connected and back-filled? Or, will they pull the flexible pipe and be in 'n out in one day with water flowing to cover their intrussion before they leave that day?

Will your system need to be blown out with pressurized air at the end of the season to avoid winter freeze and bursts or will it drain automagically?

I know, I took your simple question and made it hard.

When I bought my system about 9 years ago, I had a variety of estimates and the differences sortta fell into the mess I listed above. The low estimate was a person who seemed to be from the "get it in the ground and fix it later" school.

The highest estimate was from someone who seemed more concerned about my yard and the final result than I was. The low person was using parts 'n pieces from a variety of manufacturers. The high person was certified by the company that made all the parts he was wanting to use and he carried a fairly high rating from them for his past performance.. He would vary for me if I wanted but he had sound reasons from the controller to each of the heads as to why he preferred his "brand".

It doesn't look like you are a member of Angie's List. Given the size of the investment you are looking at, this might be a great time to join and see how others in your community have rated the contractors you are considering or if there is one you should add to your list.

My yard is between 12 and 15,000 square feet less the house, deck, two mini-barns and it is interrupted with a number of blocking (blocks the stream of water) evergreens and planting beds.

The low estimate I had was about $2,500 and would take three days to put in from the time they began to trench. I don't recall how many heads he wanted to put in but if it was off, he'd be able to put another anyplace and tie it to the nearest zone to give me good coverage. Uh, this was the get it in the ground 'n adjust later person.

The high estimate I had was around $4,500. This proposal was for seven active zones each having 5 to 7 heads. There was enough capacity (extra zone controllers and space within the system controller) built in to add drip irrigation at a later date for the planting beds without having to replace anything. He drew the entire yard and gave me a copy with the heads marked showing the "throw" of each and the overlap he built in to avoid any missed areas. And, they wanted to arrive in the morning and leave that evening with the system watering to cover their tracks throughout the yard. One day and they would not leave until it was working as advertised!

I took the high estimate. I have a neighbor who bought from the other folks. Both of us are happy. He is really happy because each time he calls his company for adjustments or corrections (yep, they got it in the ground and are still putzing with it) they are out within the week, they are really easy to do business with and their service calls' costs haven't gone up a whole bunch.

Sorry, you can't look at the price and divide by X number of heads and have a fair comparison.

1) IF you are talking the root crown - the portion where it is not one solid truck or "bole", but still a solid or near-solid mass of roots coming off the base of the trunk, then that has to come out on way or another. Typically, once you get beyond about a 3 foot circle then you are in the radial portion of the roots where they spread out laterally, and are a foot or more apart, and new roots can grow in that area fro the new tree OK. Of course, be prepared to have to trim some volunteers so the old tree can't come back, and be sure to fertilize the new tree per recommendations because the old roots will still be trying to extract water and food from the soil to support the tree that they do not yet realize is gone. Do NOT put stump killer or poison in the old tree - will kill new one too.

2) The proper commercial way to do this is to have the entire root crown and larger roots removed with a stump grinder - looks like this -

You need a tree service that can grind down at least two feet below ground level and remove the root crown and larger root segments. If you hve large roots running laterally quite a ways, he can grind them up too - ditto to "trippers" sticking up above ground. Just be sure to have it clear (spray painted) upfront how far he is going for what he quoted - typically about $150 for tree up to 1-2 feet in diameter, up to $500 for a massive sycamore or walnut or cottonwood or redwood with 6 foot diameter crown. While you can rent stump grinders at tooll rental places, I REALLY do not recommend it - the rental ones you can afford to rent for one use are pretty light duty, and they can chew a person up in no time flat if you lose control when it snags in the wood or hits a rock.

3) Another way is to go out to where the massive roots taper off to something you can reasonable cut - say 4-6 inches in diameter, and cut them all in a circle around the stump, then with a come-along or CAREFULLY (not more than a few hundred pounds) with a vehicle with a trailer hitch, put a steady pull on a good rope or strap or chain in a shallow notch cut around the top of the stump (so it does not pop off easy), then while it is being rotated up out of the ground walk around and cut any root you see still attached or trying to lift out of the ground. This works much better if the stump is left about 4-6 feet high so you get some real leverage on it with the pull, but if already cut down short run chain or strap over the top of it and around a large root on the far side of the stump. I use a Sawzall with foot long coarse tooth wood cutting blade for this - goes through roots really fast, and blade is only $1 or so apiece so ruining one or two hitting rocks is no big thing, and also reaches in under the stump better and safer than an axe. I helped a neighbor take out a back yard full of birches this way - took us about half a day to remove about 15 trees with about 6 foot diameter circle of crown and roots, leaving holes about 1-2 feet deep where each tree was. Remember this - whichever way you use to take it out, you will need maybe 1-5 wheelbarrow loads of good growth medium to replace the divot.

4) Cheaper route - cut off flush with ground level (or leave some stickup as a planter or stool or feeder base or whatever), and plant new tree at least 4 feet away from old crown, in a spot between the old roots.

'Reasonable' is one of those words that means wildly divergent things to different people. Check with your local high school to see if they have any sort of agricultural program. If yes, perhaps someone in that program could help you. Being a landscaper myself, I must say it sounds like you want something that is - first and foremost - cheap. This is NOT the best way to look for any service. You would be better served looking for 'competant' than with 'cheap'. The nicer you want your flowerbed to look, the more important it is to find someone who REALLY knows what they are doing.

Hardscaping reviews in Waukesha

A

Rating

“

and his team were excellent! From start to finish, I could tell these guys were professional and honest. They arrived on time and did a wonderful job installing the pavers and fire pit. They cleaned up completely, and made sure I was completely satisfied.

did an awesome job on the estimate and all the ...More follow up with the project. If you want a great company to install pavers or a fire pit, look no further....these guys are GREAT!
Thanks,

”

- Matt P.

A

Rating

“

!Our experience with

was consistently pleasant and professional, from our preliminary contact through the completion of our project. All phases of the project were completed on or ahead of the time estimates From designing our new patio to selecting borders, edges, and the patio stone itself to excavation to installing the base ...More and finally, laying the patio deck we were extremely pleased with our work with this company. This is a family owned and operated business which was clearly evident in the pride they took in their work. We are certain we received excellent value for our money.”

- Howard S.

C

Rating

“

Well, where do I begin. Overall, we're very disappointed with the experience and will likely never use an Angie's List recommended provider again. Your money is instantly taken and you never know when your services will be provided. First, "

", the alleged owner, will not call you. He only sends text messages ...More like a teenage girl. I understand we had unusually heavy amounts of rain this spring but it should not have taken TWO MONTHS to pour a small pad. He simply took on too many jobs and does not have the resources to provide prompt service in my estimation. When work finally did commence sub contractors, not

employees, showed up at my house unannounced and began tearing up my back yard a week before any concrete was poured! Their forms were poorly constructed and they used no sand underneath the pad! Also, they didn't properly prop up the rebar as is standard, they just reached down into the wet concrete and pulled it upward by hand, hoping it would magically remain in the middle of the pour and not sink to the bottom! The "broom finish" is very rough and unattractive and the edges are, in many places, sharp, brittle, an uneven. I had to contact

afterward to clean up all the excess mess left behind after the forms were removed. It's simply a cheap, low quality job. I guess you get what you pay for, months after paying, if $1800 can be considered "cheap". During all the delays

mentioned doing some sort of coloring of the concrete, but of course that never happened. We're very disappointed in both the company, and Angie's list.”

- john K.

A

Rating

“

We moved to the

Beach area one year ago with the intention of purchasing a home close to the beach and in an area that would allow us to install a pool. We knew the summers were hot and we wanted to stay cool when we weren't swimming at the beach. We did an extensive amount on homework on pool construction, especially having ...More to make the difficult choice of concrete vs fiberglass. We did ultimately choose concrete (even though the cost was higher) and have not regretted that decision. First let me say, we dealt directly with the company President, Bill

. He has 20+ years experience and provided us with so much information. And no pressure! He encouraged us to go out and talk to his competitors and neighbors who have fiberglass pools so we would make the right decision for us. He also suggested we checkout the Better Business Bureau website. After weeks of investigating and hearing about problems with fiberglass pools (loose titles, cracks, job not completed on time), we knew concrete with the way to go. No regrets! Bill and his team (a family owned business) took care of all the details of dealing with the county and permits. Some companies make the homeowner do that. Beware of those guys! Our neighbors are very complimentary of our outdoor pool and landscaping design. It is a beautiful oasis which know we will enjoy for many years to come. Please consider at least talking with Bill if you are in the

for a pool, you will be so glad you did.”

- Angela S.

A

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“

We started this process in April of 2015. We interviewed four companies.

was number 2 of 4 in the interview pecking order.
I contacted them online and found that there was an issue with the browser I was using or their website Contact Us form. Regardless, I alerted them of the issue and they were quick to respond.
We met with ...More

not more than 36 hours later. He came out and discussed options, showed us previous work and gave suggestions. We told him our budget, what we'd love to have and without putting a nickel down he said he'd spec out the job through their design system within a week.
It should also be noted that access to our backyard is limited because of our fence. We were told that was no big deal because they wouldn't be bringing back heavy equipment. This floored us and gave them another leg up on the competition. Many companies want to bring bobcats back there and will just tear your yard to shreds.
Also important to know a lot of other companies not only take longer to get to you, but some charge for drawing out your plans (up to $1500) and can then take several weeks to setup a meeting to start revisions after you have paid?!? Doesn't seem like good practice and we were glad

didn't take that approach.
So within that week timeframe (which was more like 5 days)

came and met with us again. He really did a pretty good first run on the plans, but we had revisions we wanted. It is at this point that you choose to either work with their company for a timely response on the revisions, or you get in line when they can get to you. In other words you give them a 10% deposit, commit to being a customer and they will keep you priority.
That's not a bad thing. We could have elected to not give a down payment and they still would have made revisions, but it would have taken several weeks to get done. This is a project we wanted completed by mid

, so we put down a $5,000 deposit and signed on for them to do the work.
So at that point we had determined of the four companies we were talking with, it was

that stood out. Factors that had us decide against other companies were as follows: slow to respond, completely unresponsive and/or rude, quality of work, charged fees for plans, customer complaints
Back to

; we setup another meeting, and it's hard to recall but I think he had our revisions done within 3 days.

basically nailed it. Probably 98% of everything we wanted to see and we worked out the kinks then and there.
I haven't started talking about price, so let me expand, expect price to fluctuate for these type of jobs. What I mean by that is, they have to calculate square footage on your pavers, so it's near impossible for them to look at you and say "it's going to cost X amount of dollars", until you're plans are finalized.
What does this mean to you? For example, I told

I wanted to stay within $48,000, but at the same time I said I wanted W, X, Y & Z for the project. Well from the beginning, we were told that building W, X, Y & Z was going to be closer to $60,000. This is the wife and I not having the knowledge of costs for these kind of projects. So we decided W could wait and agreed to move forward with X, Y & Z.

tried very hard to stay within our budget, but in the end we couldn't live without certain upgrades and agreed to go over. It's always hard (for me at least) to accept something is going to cost more than you had envisioned, but you have to account for what you are paying. What I mean by that is, quality work can and probably should cost more. I am the type that early in life took many shortcuts and sacrificed quality for the cheaper price. In most situations that ends up costing you more.

was very generous to try and get us some deals after the fact, so you feel like you're getting something. Because of the size of our job, we were able to negotiate several thousand dollars off and get a couple other credits. That said, make no mistake that you're going to get sticker shock on what these jobs cost no matter who you choose.
So at this point we have finalized plans, have a rough start date of about 4 weeks (depending on weather) and an appointment to go over finishes with

. Were told going forward that we'll now start meeting with the project manager (also the owner) on our job,

.
Before we meet

we select our finishes with

, just a couple days later. It also should be noted that

came to our home 4 or 5 times and my office a couple. They never expect you to travel to them, which is nice.
I'll take a quick moment to talk about selections. They have access to (which I'm sure all companies doing this do) just about anything you can think of. Keep in mind you'll pay for your tastes. It's important to ask about costs of materials you're choosing and what are all options.
So I'll give you an example: Our fireplace was the focal point of our job and it was extremely important that it blew away people as they walked out the back door. We saw a really cool one in a supplier magazine and it was what they referred to as a kit. Some companies will buy the kit, and place it on your patio. My neighbors signed with another company I interviewed and elected to get a similar kit (at the same time we were getting quotes). They were charged around the same price for their fireplace, it came in 4 pieces and was up in one day. Some may like that, but not me. I don't even think

will give you the option to buy the kit, for two reasons... 1. They can build it to look just like it, which is much better and 2. To get those kits into your backyards they are going to need heavy equipment.
We started toying with what could be done on the fireplace and elected to have them build out a custom stone look (on a friends recommendation). I have to tell you, it's simply AMAZING! It stands over 13ft tall and is just beautiful. I'll get more to that later.
We met with

and he outlined the stages of our job and when they hoped to be completed. So the first part of our job had to be the fireplace, and the masons complete that. The dirt crew started earlier than expected. They hand dug a massive hole in the back where the fireplace would go and then the masons came out two days later.
The masons were good guys, but they had odd working hours and small crews. Most of that part of the project was done by one, yes one person (his name is

). I'll say most days there were two guys onsite, but a lot of time the second half of the day it was good old

staying late and working hard to the end. I'm not an expert on how these jobs need to be done, but I could say time management on this portion of the job could have been better. An example would be rain delays, take them for instance. If it rains on a Wednesday and Thursday, then you get a sunny Friday, one would expect work to start early (8am) and finish close to sundown. That didn't happen as expected and I would assume because these jobs are very labor intensive. I can't fault them for that, but what I can say is it took nearly four weeks to get that fireplace done.
In fairness, we had an extremely rainy June and first 10 days of

. We experienced a lot of delays throughout this project because of rain. I'm okay with that, because I'd rather it be done correctly.
We were fortunate enough to be on a two week vacation for much of this build. We thought we'd come home to the job completed, miss all the mess and work being done, but because of rain that didn't happen. We got home and we had to park at a neighbors for about a week because there were a couple dozen skids of material that needed to sit in our driveway.
Through the entire process

kept me updated. While on vacation he would call (as needed). He was at the job site in the evenings. He would walk the job with me when I was home, and make sure we were all on the same page. Because of the rain delays I got to see the entire patio put together from start to finish (keep in mind the fireplace was done at this point).
The dirt/paver crew are some really hard workers. I don't know if they move like that because they were behind or if that is normal pace? What I do know though is they not only know how to grind, but the quality of their work is superb. They are going to be loud at times, they would sometimes sing or playfully

my bulldog through the glass, but they are really nice guys. I made sure to buy them lunch once and keep them hydrated because I am of the thought that you take care of the people who take care of you (did the same for the masons).
They missed a small detail on the plan and the electrical outlets weren't placed where we originally thought.

had also calculated an area of the patio incorrectly and as a result we had to pay roughly $500 more (to buy additional material) to even out the patio to our liking. I didn't make a big deal about it because they took care of us in other areas that we had not agreed to pay for. In the end, the quality cannot be ignored.
I'm almost out of characters on this review, so please let me give my final thoughts overall...
I would highly recommend

.

,

and crew are great guys. They are detailed and experienced. This is not a company that is looking to take advantage of you. I own a company and I know a thing or two about business. I do my due diligence and these guys passed my tests with flying colors. I think a project like this, you're always going to have a few hiccups (and we did) but the pros outweigh the cons by a long shot.
Overall we ADORE the patio. Friends and family just rave about it. If you're deciding on this company, want to see first hand the quality of work, come out to

/Fishers and pay us a visit!”

- Clayton T.

A

Rating

“

Extremely responsive from start to finish,

helped us with the design and was patient with us as we sent him numerous emails with new ideas. Project was completed in 3 days and they were sensitive not to make a mess of our sod. It rained continuously after the patio was installed so we lost a little sand and they came back out ...More immediately to refill areas of concern. We received 3 other quotes and

was by far the best value. ”

- Emily C.

F

Rating

“

was impressive when we first met and decided to let him to do our paver project. We were hit with our first concern was he wasn't using a level and we had to tell him several times that there were areas that were completely uneven. After I used my level to show him he finally made adjustments. Since it's been finished ...More we have found several other areas that settled and are even worse.
Our second concern was with laying a curve to a walk way. After they left for the day, we noticed he had laid out the pavers so bad that the curve in the walk width was over 8 inches difference in places and there was no curve just right

, so my
wife and I redid the curve that evening so they could continue the next day. Two nights after the project was finished, we had a rain shower and all of the mortar sand along with his so called sealer washed away. Then we noticed that when he did attempt to seal it there are areas where he sealed the sand right on top of the pavers and it looks terrible.
Lastly after putting all of our patio furniture back we discovered that the 18 foot by 3 foot BBQ addition was only 30 inches wide instead of 36 as we originally requested and he bid.
When we first met he was responding instantly to get the quote and job, now that we have problems he's disappeared from the face of the earth. I've sent him pictures of the issues and not one single reply. I was eager to give my business to a young man but we are shocked how bad and unprofessional his work was and I am very disappointed with

personally. Either he was in way over his head or once he gets the money he could care less.
We now have to hire a professional to come fix everything he messed up. I would NOT recommend

or

Landscaping/

to anyone wanting to do any kind of paver/block project at all.”

- Rod W.

A

Rating

“

We worked with

a few years ago on a large project and were very pleased with our experience.
When we decided to add an outdoor kitchen area, we know we wanted to work with

again.

from

was great to work with. He designed an outdoor living space and kitchen ...More for us and integrated it into our existing patio.
It's just what we wanted and it's amazing to relax and entertain in.
We added a large kidney shaped patio with an inlaid "P" for our family name.
the large paver patio is contoured by a curved seating wall.
The best part is the granite counter tops that match my indoor kitchen counter tops. I just love them.
the lights around the patio and in the wall really make a big difference when we are entertaining.
We also had a privacy fence installed.
The whole experience was great, again. We are very happy with everything.
We have worked with many contractors on various projects and